Bumper cushion for motor vehicles



Jan. 13, 1931. w, GORDON BUMPER CUSHION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 29, 1930 Patented Jan. 13, 1931" wILL aM'RoBERT GoRDoN,onnn'rnorr,MICHIG N" j BUMI ER cUsHIoN-roRJMoToR-vvEmcL sE 1 Application'filed liay a, 1930. Serial uo.,45 7,21e.", f i

This invention relatesl'to a cushion a dapted to be connected to the bumper of a motor vehicle thereby'toreduce greatlythe' danger of injuries dueto collisions; Q"

, {3 One of the objects is to provide an efiicient resilient device which canbe applied readily to the front of a bumper so that should the vehicle collide with another, the danger of v scarring the same would be'reducedto the loniinimum. flThe -cushion also constitutes a means for minimizing danger to pedestrains.

lVith'the foregoing and other objects in view, whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described i and claimed, it being understoodv that changes in the precise embodiment ofth'e I invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention, In the accompanyingdrawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

- In saiddrawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view ofthe bumper of a vehcile to which the cushion constituting the present invention has been connected. Figure 2 is an enlarged section on linev 2+2, Figure I Figure 3 is a section. on line 3-3, Figure 2.

. Figure l is a section through a portiolyof a modified form of cushion to be a three-bar bumper.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 ayplied to showing another form of fastening means j whereby the cushion can be applied to a bumper of the standard type having any number of bars.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates abumper of stand-' ard vdesign which, in the present instance, is

provided with two" spaced bars extending longitudinally thereof. a

The cushion is formed of a heavy tube 1 of) rubber reinforced with fabric, the layers of fabric being indicated at 2. The space 3 in the tube is closed at its ends and the said tube is of a length approximately equal to v the length of the bumper. Furthermore the cushion is shaped to conform to the, design .tioned where they can be to the particulargbunipelflwith which it' 6r i the bu per; a In aha [wor ds at-tat ace t reOflcan be made flat so as-to fit f snuggly againstfthe' front face of the bumper and the end portions of the cushion ,can be curved backwardly to. follow the curvature, of the end portions of thefbumpe r, Like- "Wise the end portions-of the cushion-can be rounded. p

From theends of the cushion are extended flexible tongues 5' to which. are Qconnected fastening devices suchflas snap hooks 6. Shorter tongues '7, "which can be. made integral with one ofthelayers of fabric 2,a re

extended beyond the backface of the cushion from thetop and bottom po'rtions. thereof and each efth se ton u s isglikewise proi-l v ded w1th suitable fastening means such, as a asnaphook i ,7

'Embedded in the back, portion ofthe plates 9- fromf which are excushion are tended: loops 1 0; which project -ib eyon d the baclr faceffof the'cushion and are; located whererthey will extend between thebars of the bumper. AI. ,'1 hese'loops are also ,posi engagedby the snaphooks 8 or; other fastening means on the tongues i'l after the:cushion has been properlyfapphed'tothe bumper; I I i In fl pra'ct e, the. cushion, which is made 7 m lbe used",;is ;appliedeto the front facev of the bumperian d' its-ends; are secured by folding the tongues 5' about the-ends of the" bumper and placing the fastenersfi in engagement with thefadjacent loops 10.; Thereafter the -fastening devices 8 are-placed in.- engagement with the other loops .so that the tongues '7 will' hold the cushion properly? positioned relative to the bumper while "the tongues 5 will hold the cushionagainst longitudinal displacement. l V

The thickness of the cushion from top to 7 bottom is greater than the height of the bumper; Consequently the cushionjwill e3 tend above and below thebumper in-i juries heretofore caused by afbumper'scrap-f ing againsta portion o'f' ai vehicle, willj be eliminated? Furthermore, the cushion acts to reduce the force of a collision, conse- 9 uentlv reducinmdama 'es which ordinaril occur when two vehicles come together.

, Some types of bumpers are provided with three bars A cushion forusewith such a. bumper should be provided with two paral lel series of loops 11 as shown inFigure 4 so that theloops of one series can extend through one of the longitudinal openings in the bumper while the floop'sof the other series can extend through the other'openings. In other respects thismodifiedstrud ture is the same as that already described, a

cushion being provided with the tongues'12- corresponding with tongues 7 and with fasteners 13 corresponding with the-"fasteir. ers S, the fasteners of oneseriesoftongucs engaging the loops 11 of one series ;whi le the loops of the other series are engaged by the other fasteners.

Should thejbumper have one bar only, as shown in Figure 5, 1t 1s'lnot possible, of

course,-to use thefloops shown at 1.0 and 1 1 Instead, strips of metal or the like indicated at 14 can be embedded withinthe back p'or tion of the' cushion with their ends projectiiig. To, one end of'th ese strips ishingedly connected a,'clamping strip 15.' A bolt 16 can be used for connecting the other end of eachof thestrips 14 to. the strips '15. 'llhus by holding cushion against the bumper and thendrawi ngl the strips l5 and toward each oth'er by meansjof. the bolts,-l6,

thebumper will-be clam ed tightly to those 7 portions of the cushion I between the [strips 14 and the bumper. x n

The cushion herein described canbe used.

with all types of motorvehicles and consti tutes eflicient means, for absorbing shocks that would Otherwise b9 a en up solQ b direct e n h fbumper. I

What isclaimedis:

' 1. A bumper cushion including' an elon gated tubular resilient member closed at its ends, and meanscarried by said member for. attachment to a'bumper, said meansc in-r .cluding an "element embedde dfin and pro j'ecting from the tubular meinber,'-and-means movably connected to said ele1nent fore1n bracing a bumper to bind the tubularinember thereagainst.

4-. The combination with a vehicle bum-per,

of a resilient tubular cushion fitted to the front thereof and having closed ends, tongues integralwith and extending from the top and bottomportions ofthe cushion,-

elements embedded in and projecting from the cushion for insertion through the bumper, and means carried by, the tongues for detachably engaging saidel neiits to hold the cushion against the front of the bumper.

-x- -;5.;Th e combination with a vchiclcbumper, of a resilient tubular cushion fitted to the front...ithereof ands. having closed ends,

; tongues integral with and extending from the'top and*bottom 'portions of the cushion, elements embedded in and ;p ro ect ng from the eushiqg "insertionf'through the bumper ed byitheftougues "for detachably; engaging said elements to' hold the cushlon against the front of the bumper,- and tongues ntegralwit'h' thefen'ds of the j cushion @forf embracing the ends j of the bumpe ygand' means carried said end tongues for detachably engaging the ad j a;

cent elem nt" rojecting from the cushion,

In testimony that I claim' the foregoing as 1ny own,-I have hereto afiixedjn'y signature.

, WILLIAM B BERTFZGQ D 2. A bumper cushion including a tubular:-

resilient mem'bei 'closed at its ends, means embedded 111 and pro ect1ng from Stud-11101- ber for insertion through abumpcr, and

a bumper and attachment" through the I,

tongues. r e A 

